1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a membrane reactor for electrochemically convert carbon dioxide.
2. Description of Related Art
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is considered as the main anthropogenic cause of climate change, such as the greenhouse effect. Converting CO2 to useful industrial chemicals containing carbon or fuels is a proper way for realizing a sustainable development of energy and environment.
Ways of converting CO2 includes chemical conversion, biochemical conversion, photochemical reduction, electrochemical reduction, and inorganic transformation. The advantages of electrochemical reduction of CO2 include low cost, simple fabrication system, and mild operation condition.
Electrolytic cells are used as reactors for electrochemically reducing CO2. However, the electrolytic cells have low conversion efficiencies and flux. These disadvantages limit the electrolytic cells for a commercializing application.
What is needed, therefore, is to provide a membrane reactor which has a high conversion efficiency of electrochemical reduction of CO2.